Written by: Ana Romih, Slovene artist-trainer

Presentation of developed program was very emotional. Even though we were all tired after two whole days of working, what I gained and experienced through sharing practices and discussing our work was a gift I did not expect.
At the end all our practices, brainstorming, discussing and concluding, it all came together in a beautiful way. I am convinced we are on the right path and ready to MOVE in every way possible.
For me it was an enriching experience with a lot to think about, wrapped in hope and excitement that what we are trying to achieve is possible and even magical on some level.
And when I came home after these three intense days, I Immediately came across this sentence:

The true purpose of arts education is not necessarily to create more professional dancers or artists. (it is) to create more complete human beings, who are critical thinkers, who have curious minds, who can lead productive lives.

Written by: Irina Furdui, artist trainer

My greatest wish is to make a change in the Romanian educational system – improv can make a change. We saw that after the first project together. And now we will be more determined and stronger. The kids that we met along were thrilled and curious about improv. And they need this kind of experience. I felt the same good energy also from the adults that we worked with. We all need to become better: better human beings. And I have a feeling that Improv can help towards this goal.

Written by: Paul Leonard Murray, artist-trainer

The weekend trainings were some of the interesting yet, either from the Young Theatre or Young Theatre on the Move project. The combination of Theatre and Dance Improvisation methods being shared with pedagogues seemed to bring a shared sense of discovery. All of us were slightly outside of our comfort zones one way or another and this brought a sense of togetherness with the group and between the group and facilitators.

On both days the atmosphere was friendly, fun and productive with all four facilitators offering different but related exercises. What the form is (Dance/theatre. movement/improv) that we are creating I am not sure how to define, but it seems to be freer than improv and more dynamic that straight contemporary dance...I like it as a methodology, something new for us and the teachers it seems.

I look forward to comparing notes from our sessions with our partners in the next stage.   

Written by: Ivana Tabori Obradović, dance-trainer

Today is Monday.

Another exciting weekend behind me.

Buzzing, playing, laughing, people, thoughts, ideas, body, space, rhythm…

No, we weren't having fun. This was actually an M3 weekend!

The elan I feel today came from our phenomenal team, the opportunity to participate in this beautiful project, from so many creative, open and inspirational people who, as participants in the workshops, were ready to answer every challenge, share their experiences and present their questions and suggestions, the opportunity to learn from them all ...

Educators, teachers, actors, youth workers - so many resources, creativity, willpower and commitment in these people!

Written by: Urša Strehar Benčina, artist-trainer

Every workshop experience is different and no matter how many groups I facilitated, and how many times I have used or introduced any game, it is an inspiring and magical moment when something new arises, when participants are transformed and when collective experience awakes and connects all the group members. This time, the game changer was the exercise “Obstacles”.
The game was taken on a whole other level by teachers using their personal obstacles to inspire them (being too busy, not allowing themselves to be angry, feeling of not being a good enough parent, etc.) and really feeling and embodying them. The whole room was connected in the miracle that can only happen with live performances - the feeling which is indescribable, it can only be felt. The feeling which reveals the power of creation, of doing something with one’s body, which inevitably affects all other bodies in the space. The feeling that something is opening inside the performer, that opens the audience as well and resonates with their own experiences, thoughts, emotions. The feeling of not holding back, feeling and being vulnerable, but not entirely personal and private (so, using what we know and feel, but transforming it into artistic form). The feeling of individual experience of all, performers and the audience (since the stories the audience observed were actually theirs, the audience always feels the gaps with their own material, with their own life experience and situations) was intertwining with collective experience…

… To give the pedagogues (and each other) the space to empty their cup and fill it again, to support the ones that usually offer all the support, to lift them up, encourage them, make them feel brave and vulnerable enough to share themselves and to keep them knowing that they are enough, that we are here to learn, but even more we are here (in the world, really) to be - to be present, to feel, to be together, to create together and to just be our imperfect selves gloriously.. - this is an incredible honor and an important underlining goal of our workshops (along with learning how to include free movement in our pedagogical work of course). I am incredibly grateful for Creative Europe’s support of this project and the possibility of teaching and learning experiences like this.

Written by: Ana Romih, artist trainer

The interweaving of knowledge, wrapped in magical exchange of energy.

Enriching experience filled with tears, gratitude and inspiration.

Healing the body, mind and soul through the process.

All in all, it was a weekend to remember and carry in a box where I keep my special memories!

Written by: Staša Prah, artist trainer

As we wrote in the application: dance frees the body, impro frees the mind, and that is exactly what happened on the M1. I think the final goal of all of us is to educate a holistic person, who is aware, attentive, focused, playful, relaxed and alert at the same time and has the capacity to create something by himself or herself and as well appreciates and attends a variety of cultural events and performances. By creating the atmosphere of community, acceptance and love, we can definitely achieve that in a way, that nurtures participants from the inside and give them meaningful embodied experiences that are building their (cultural) backbone.

Written by: Lucija Trobec, workshop participant

Thank you for a wonderful experience. Your workshops are exceptional. A weekend full of creativity, new ideas, knowledge, laughter, practical work, research, learning and the deepening of the already known was over in a flash. I believe that the workshops both for mentors and later children are extremely valuable as they enable us to gain a different insight in the matter and ourselves. They help us feel what we are once again, where we are going and how to continue this path. In short, we create, breathe and fly with the whole body.

Written by: Sabrina Udrih, workshop participant

This type of a workshop was something completely new to me, so when I registered I had no idea what to expect. A sense of communion was felt already at the opening greeting and later throughout the workshop. The trainers were very nice and professional in their field. They also knew how to create a safe environment so that the participants could freely follow the process. The content of the workshop was incredibly interesting and we were able to discover ourselves and our own capabilities in different ways. Warm hospitality at the arrival to the workshop also has to be mentioned, as well as, a free lunch and snack which were offered additionally. I am leaving the workshop innerly richer, thankful for all the new experiences, with new acquaintances and looking forward to participating at  the next workshop.

Written by: Tanja Svetina, workshop participant

This was my first time at your weekend workshop and I must say that I am thrilled. I was really impressed by the workshop. I was fascinated by the positive energy of the trainers and the participants, professional competence, organization, kindness, actually, by absolutely everything. The workshops were fun and pleasant, the knowledge conveyed tastefully. Using a bit of own imagination, each of us will definitely be able to put in practice the newly acquired knowledge and ideas at work. I look forward to meeting you again!

Written by: Monika Mużyło, Project Maneger

That’s exactly what I feel when I see groups of our participants having fun with impro, laughing and crying at the same time. Impro was a complete novelty to me, in a way it still is because I always only watch from afar. But what I see touches me because in so many projects I did throughout my professional life I’ve never experienced anything that rewarding. And its potential is not only personal, it has the potential of bringing about a huge change in the Polish educational system that is rigid and more about the past than future. So impro is hope.
After three years it still feels like it’s not real, it just seems too good to be real – the team is too beautiful, the cooperation is too satisfactory, the amount of support is hard to believe. Maybe it’s a dream but I don’t want to wake up, not yet.

Written by: Katarzyna Michalska, artist trainer

I’m really impressed by this meeting, it’s amazing that the earlier workshop (in February, my first workshop with this group) built such a close relationship which in turn gave us space to work, a space filled with trust, openness, positive attitude, commitment to work on exercises. Ana, our trainer from Slovenia led her workshop perfectly, offering maximum commitment and passion. As a trainer I watched her work with pleasure, I benefited a lot, it was sheer pleasure to support her in the workshop.
I personally, as a trainer, was surprised by the trust in my group, their openness, I really felt that the group was absorbing what I was offering. I feel that a lot depends on the relationship, if we make it our priority in the beginning, with a new group, then our further work will be nothing by pleasure.

 

Written by: Ana Romih, artist trainer

These times dancing is forbidden
These times my heart aches

These times touching is forbidden

These times we smell fear every way we turn

These times dancing is forbidden

These times we try

These times we try to fly under the sky

These times from time to time

These times we hope

These times we try…
..not to cry, not to be shy

When together is just a memory of what used to be
These times dancing is forbidden
These times my heart aches

While world breaks
These times we try…
..not to cry, but fly
through imagination, hope and love sharing and caring

body, mind and spirit.
These times through screens

These times dancing is forbidden

These times we try

These times we try to fly under the sky

These times from time to time

These times we hope

These times we try…

 

Create

Create

Create

New reality,

Ways of connecting,
Projecting,
Reflecting,
Planning,
and hoping that this is just a dream and we will soon be awake.
Dancing without restrictions!

Written by: Katja Kušar, Slovene dance artist trainer

In the morning of the last October weekend, I attended the Module 1 workshop in Pionirski dom, Ljubljana. As a new member of Young theatre on the move project I didn’t know what to expect. And that was the beauty of it. Though the day I was able to know more about other members of the crew. I realised how important it is for us to work together, because everyone of us is an important link in this organism that will breath, think and work together to achieve the goals of the project.

I also got an insight of how impro theatre and creative movement can be partner methods in opening mind and soul of an individual. I saw this meeting as crucial for uniting our group of trainers, thinking outside of the box and researching many interesting methods of our work.

Although I am a trainer in this project, most definitely I will also be a student. Working on this project I want to learn a lot from other trainers – not just the ones in Slovenia, but also form other partner counties and I want to learn a lot also from kindergarten and school teachers that have so many different experiences with children. I expect to get so much new knowledge, feelings, expectations, good vibes, meet many interesting people and develop very special bonds with them. I expect many warm and beautiful bonds with people from participating counties and even broader.
I expect to be more and more motivated after every event, meeting and workshop of this project. I expect to work hard with everyone included and to achieve the goals of the project. And I know that I will also be able to grow professionally and personally through this project.
I also hope to make an impact to most of the teachers who will attend our workshops. I want to show them that we have many possibilities in working with children and we have to be open-minded in every stage of pedagogical process. I would like for them to understand that improv theatre and creative movement can offer them a starting point to open themselves to change, differentially and give them new points of view, freshness and motivation. I would like them to see that participating in our project is going to develop their professional career and personal path.

Written by: Bjanka Kršmanc, Project maneger

How did it all begin?

I would like to begin with a story. It was a year 2018. A summer. A summer of 2018. 24th of July. Hopefully some of you were on a vacation, maybe on a seaside or at your favourite spot and some of you were at work sweating. I know I was at work. And I know that at least one other person was at the office as well. What was the background of the story? Our first Creative Europe cooperation project Young Theatre was 10 months old, we were in a middle of it at that point…. Everything was progressing well, smoothly, everybody participated fully, YT project was going to the right direction, we were getting positive feedbacks and great results, etc. So far so good. So, we know the time frame and the background of the story.  What was the plot about? On the 24th of July 2018, in a middle of Young Theatre project, I got an email. And it started with Dear Bjanka… how is the summer in Slovenia? I thought “It’s summer time. Everything is great. I’m going to Dalmatia next week on a Croatia cost for a two-week vacation, so the answer was” It couldn’t be better.” And the text continued with two sentences about proposal for budget changes in Young Theatre project and then out of the blue the next question: “Also, I wanted to ask you about the future – would you like to continue the project?”  Would I like to continue to project? Of ‘course I would. It has just started last year, we all know that it lasts until the 31st of May 2019. We have another 10 months ahead of us.  I hope you want to continue the project as well. You are supposed to continue it! So, something was off. Obviously, I didn’t understand the question. I kept reading the email: This project is a really great start and something to build on. We really can see huge potential that we would be happy to exploit. Yea, that are the right words. Finally, we understand each other. Just carry on. Creative Europe will have another call in November this year.   Hmmm? Would you be interested in another application – a continuation?  Did I mention that it was summer time, in the middle of the on-going YT project? “What do you think about it?” Maybe I could pretend I didn’t get the email was definitely my first reaction. It was supposed to happen anyway, I know. In fact, our team was thinking about the continuation – the project’s upgrade even while writing the YT application. That was the reason why we said that YT is a pilot testing project. I needed to remind myself of a plan. Our team decided even before the beginning of the summer, to start preparing a new project in September.
Monika, polish project manager is the person I was talking about. Why did I share this story with you? Because it is so important for us that the impulse came from you, project partners. The initiative from your side has even larger meaning for us. It is a proof that we as a team/consortium of partners succeeded, that we are on the right path, that we see a strong potential for our common growth and that we have proven ourselves to be worthy of being the lead partner. So, the decision was made even before the actual question was asked. And the decision was and still is highly positive because of you, our strong positive bonds that were formed during our first cooperation project. So, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the project managers, all the assistants and of ‘course all the artist-trainers for your marvellous work, enthusiasm and dedication to our project.

Written by: Dragana Stanisavljević – dance trainer

Since there is always some Urša in each team, this time it was me. I had an overwhelming desire to awaken passion in the hearts of the participants in a relatively short time. I think I have succeeded. A got a positive response to our project and felt the incredible energy from them.

Considering that ballet educators are always struggling with incomes, we have all agreed that we need programmes like this,  to refresh and enrich our professional capaticities in our culturally non educated  enviroment (non - educated audience, parents, and above all public administration), We all try to find a common path. I hope we made it.